Shot in the Dark
by Ultra Chaos
Summary: After being blamed for a series of unexplained, but increasingly dangerous accidents, Shadow finds himself on the run. Now he has to figure out what's going on, and clear his name. But when a long-gone enemy finds him and offers help, he learns that things are far more complicated than he'd thought. Shadow's POV. Rated for mild swearing and violence.
1. Alone

Rock climbing is almost more effort than it's worth. I have the strength for it, but hedgehogs in general are poor climbers, and I'm only slightly above average in that regard. I don't like hights either. They don't scare me, but I've almost died by falling in the past, and you tend to respect that which can kill you.

Besides, I don't have a choice. I can survive a fall, but an angry pyrokenetic? I don't want to find out.

I finally pull myself onto a wide ledge and flop down on my side, gasping for breath. But I rarely have time to rest anymore, so I only lie there for a few seconds before rolling onto my belly and peering over the edge, back the way I came. It's dark except for an almost full moon, but my night vision is as good as a cats, if not better. This is good, because it's a cat that's following me.

After a moment I spot her about half a mile away. I doubt she'll come much further though. I don't know Blaze very well, but I know she hates hights. That's why I'm going up. In better days I would have teleported instead of climbing, but I need to save my Chaos energy.

Of course, in better days this wouldn't be happening at all.

I watch Blaze for maybe a minute. Then I pull back and follow the ledge instead of going higher.

It's slow going. I don't care if Blaze sees me, so I don't bother trying to hide, but a month on the run has worn me down. My black, red, and white fur is smudged with soot and hiding a number of bruises and minor burns from my fight with Blaze. I haven't eaten or slept properly in weeks. Almost everyone I know is after me, including my friends. My Chaos energy is almost spent, and that's a _really _bad thing.

But I'm not ready to give up.

I'm not bragging when I say that no one else could have survived this long. I'm dead serious. I've only survived because of my Chaos energy. It affects everything about me, from how much sleep I need to how quickly my wounds heal. Because of it I need half as much sleep as other people, and only one-third as much food. I'm immune to disease and resistant to extreme temperatures. My healing rate is three times that of a human.

Now guess what happens when my energy runs low. True, some of my strengths are biological, but not all of them.I won't bore you with the details, but the longer I go without food or sleep, the more energy is used to replace whatever I'm not getting. I get weaker. There are two outcomes: Either I go into automatic shutdown to recover my energy, or I use too much power and die.

Remember when I said my Chaos energy is almost spent? Now you know why it's a bad thing. Now, walking along a mountain ledge, all I can think about is finding a place to sleep so I can slow down the energy loss. I have to avoid shutdown at all costs, because if someone finds me like that I'm helpless. Not to memtion all the complications that could make sure I never wake up.

There is a bright side to all this, of course. Or maybe not. Actually, it's all pretty bleak, but I'm too stuborn to give up. Besides, there's a Chaos Emerald somewhere on this mountain. I can sense it. If I can find it, my chances increase.

I follow the ledge for at least a quarter of a mile before it ends abruptly and forces me to climb higher. As soon as I reach the next ledge I keep going the the way the first one had gone, heading more or less east. Blaze has long since fallen behind, despite my slow pace, but I continue to go up rather than down. Once in a while I stop to catch my breath, but never for more than a minute. Then I keep going.

The sky is beginning to lighten by the time I stop for a proper rest. My entire right side is throbbing thanks to a fireball to the ribs. It's the only solid blow Blaze landed on me, and it _had _to be fire. It's also the only injury my fur doesn't cover up. I'm kinda missing some fur there, actually.

Anyway, the mountain side is too exposed to sleep on,so I have to settle for crouching down with my side pressed to the rock hurts, but after a while the cold rock soothes the burn a bit. Not the best remedy, but it will do for now.

I don't want to think about what brought me to this point, how even my friends turned against me. I don't even really know what happened. But the memories won't leave me alone, and at times like this, with nothing else to occupy my thoughts, they come to the forefront of my mind and crowd out everything else. This time is no different.

I remember it in flashes mostly. Things found destroyed day after day, never far from where I was at the time, and always without explanation. Sometimes things found in places I'd just been. Destruction that got worse as time went on, leading to questions I could never answer.

Then people started getting hurt in accidents as the destruction continued. The military looked for consistancies, but there weren't any. Exept me. The soldier who questioned me seemed satisfied by my answers, then was a victim in the next accident. Rumors started. My friends stsrted asking questions too, but after what happened to the soldier, I wouldn't answer. People became nervous whenever I was around. The disasters grew more frequent. Then...

I shake my head, pushing back the memories. I don't want to go there. It's bad enough that the disasters stopped after I was forced to run. I had nothing to do with any of it, but clearly someone wanted it to look like I did.

After about ten minutes I stand up again. It's not near enoough rest, but the sun will come up soon, and my black fur will stand out against the pale gray of the rock around me. I_ have_ to find a sheltered place to sleep. Even the Chaos Emerald I'm sensing doesn't seem as important, although I keep following its energy signature.

To my surprise, it's just after dawn when a welcome sound reaches my ears: running water. I make my way toward the sound immediately, but it takes almost an hour to reach the source. Eventually I'm standing on a narrow ledge, warching a torrent of water rush past. It's a tall waterfall, but not very wide. A human wouldn't have heard it until well past the point I did. I can sense the Emerald somewhere above me, but decide to go down.

Twenty feet later, I'm standing on a wide plateau, the water next to me forming a short river that barely slows before plunging over the next cliff. The river is so violent that puddles have been formed by the spray. I sink down next to the nearest puddle, ignoring the water droplets landing on my fur.

After I drink my fill I splash some water on my burned side, teeth clinched against the pain. In a twisted kind of way, I'm glad it hurts. If it was a third-degree burn there wouldn't be any nerves left to feel pain with. My guess is that it's second-degree, which is confirmed after the soot is washed off. I doubt it will scar much. Not enough to be seen when my fur grows back at least.

When I'm done cleaning the ash from my fur I just sit and think while the sun dries me off. I have the outline of a plan, but no real idea how to make it work. Somehow I need to find out what was destroying everything, bring it to light in a way that takes the blame off me, then get rid of it. But first I have to live long enough to get some answers, and I don't know where to start looking.

Actually, that sounds about typical.

I lean forward to brace my elbows on my knees and stare out over the edge of the plateau, eyes narrowed against the sunlight. Despite the spray from the river, the air feels very still and cold. The roar of the waterfall is muted and distant, and even the pain in my body seems to fade.

This is all the warning I get before the memories I've pushed back suddenly surface in a flurry of fragmented chuncks.

_Flashback_

_"Don't you trust us?"_

_There is no anger in the white bat's words, only confusion and worry. It makes me feel worse for my behavior, but I can't help being angry._

_"It's not that I don't trust you," I say coldly. "But I have to wonder if you trust me." I look directly at the red echidna behind the bat as I speak. Someone puts a hand on my shoulder and I turn my head to look at the blue hedgehog._

_"Of course we trust you," Sonic says. "We want to help you figure this out, don't we?"_

_"We're just worried about you," Rouge adds. "We know you haven't done anything wrong, but you haven't been yourself lately, either. Can't you at least tell us what's wrong?"_

_I turn away, hands curled into fists, and say nothing._

_The scene changes. I'm standind on the roof of a tall building, staring at the sky. The first stars of night are just appearing and a cool breeze blows through my fur, but I don't feel peaceful._

_A scream splits the air and I'm running before it even fades. All I can think is, Oh please, no._

_I find Rouge lying on the ground, gasping, one wing bent at an awkward angle. I drop down next to her and see bruises already forming on her neck, but no other sign of injury. She doesn't seem to be conscious._

_The sound of running footsteps makes me look up. The echidna from earlier, Knuckles, is coming toward us, and I can tell by the look on his face that he won't be reasoned with._

_Another time-shift. It's almost midnight now, and I'm in an old warehouse, trying to catch my breath. I hear human soldiers searching for me and I slip away into the shadows near a wall, looking for a window. The humans are easy to avoid since they need flahlights to see._

_I manage to find a window, but it won't open. With no other option I jump through anyway, curling into a ball to keep the flying glass away from my skin. I land on my feet outside, pausing only long enough to shake glass shards from my quills. Then I run, but I barely have time to reach the road before the rest of the military shows up. I skid to a halt and stand there, uncertain, my ears filled with the sound of car engines and helicopter blades. A handful of soldiers approaches, guns leveled at me._

_Then the warehouse I just left explodes._

_In the resulting confusion I get past the soldiers without trouble, and I definitely don't stick around. I just run, determined not to be caught. I only stop once, a short way from the city, and look back. I can still hear the helicopters in the distance and see one a ways off, scanning the buildings with a searchlight. Then I turn and keep going._

_I don't look back again._

_End flashback_

The sudden onslaught of memory has left me shaking. This is far from the first time I've relived the past in the middle of doing something else, but I hate it.

I stand up, still shaking, and turn toward the waterfall. They often have openings behinde them, don't they? Maybe I'll be lucky.

As it turns out, I _do_ get lucky. There's a narrow crack behind the waterfall that I can get into easily, and it opens up into a small cave. There's no sign of anything living here, and it's also close to the Chaos Emerald, so I can retrieve it after I sleep.

Wait. The Emeralds position has changed. That means someone is carrying it, and if it's now behind me then _that_ means...

I whirl around even as a calm voice breaks the relative silence... A voice I recognize, but never expected to hear again...

"Hello, Shadow. Life certainly hasn't been treating you well, has it?"


	2. Dealing With Darkness

This can't be happening. It can't.

But that sentiment has never changed reality, and it never will. Unless I'm hallucinating from sleep deprivation or hunger, there are only two possibilities: I've lost my mind completely, or this is real, and so is the person before me.

Both options are grim.

There are many ways to react to the unexpected reappearance of an enemy. With both my mind and my reflexes blunted by fatigue, my response is equally blunt, a simple question completely devoid of the disbelief I'm experiencing.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

In reply, Mephiles the Dark steps into the cave, though not so far that I could get past him if I tried. If he had a mouth, I think he would be smiling.

"That depends on your point of view," he says.

I'll admit it. Mephiles creeps me out a bit. He looks exactly like me, but his fur isn't as dark and his stripes are a washed-out teal instead of red. Everything about him has a gray cast like a shadow, which he kind of is since he used _my _shadow to get a proper body. The only things with any color are his eyes, which are poisonous green with slitted pupils. As I already mentioned, he has no mouth although he can speak.

I honestly don't know how to react to his presence. All I know is that I don't want to fight him if I can avoid it. I don't have the strength for another fight so soon, and Mephiles is a lot tougher than Blaze. I shake my head wearily.

"What do you want?"

Even I'm shocked by how tired I sound. I haven't settled into a defensive stance or anything either, and Mephiles actually sounds doubtful when he next speaks.

"Your help... Although you seem to need more help than I do."

I glare at him. "We've been through this. I'm not going to help you. With _anything_," I add forcefully when he looks unconvinced. Of course, I suppose no one would seem very convincing if they were as obviously exhausted as I am.

"I think you'll change your mind once you know what's going on," he says.

"What makes you think I'm even going to listen?"

"Do you have a choice?" He pauses, then continues when I stay silent. "You are in no condition to fight me or escape me. If you tried, it would take no effort on my part to subdue you and make you hear me out. There are powers in this world that you know nothing about, and they wouldn't hesitate to kill you if they found you. Whether you like it or not, you need my help, perhaps even more than I need yours."

It's a good arguement, and that just makes me more suspicious. Mephiles is a master manipulator, skilled at twisting the truth to fit his purposes without actually lying, which makes him that much harder to catch since most of what he says can be varified by other sources.

I, however, am not inclined to listen to him, and even less inclined to believe him.

"You can make me listen," I say flatly, "but you can't make me help you. You should know by now that I won't fall for your false promises and lies."

"There are no false promises this time," he says. "An alliance would be benificial for both of us. I need your powers and you can't last much longer on your own. Don't bother denying it, I've been watching you since you reached the waterfall. However..." He pauses, looking me up and down, then gives a slight shrug. "If you need a reason to trust me, you will get one. You need to eat and rest, but seem to have had no chance to do either, so I'm willing to make a deal. I will leave for a few hours and let you sleep. I'll even bring food with me when I return. All I ask in exchange is for you to listen to what I have to say afterwards, and for your help in a single matter. Whether you help with anything more is your choice."

I'll say this for Mephiles, he may have a fondness for speeches, but he doesn't waste words. Unfortunately, making a deal with him is like making a deal with the devil. It might get me in far worse trouble than I already am. But, as he said, I can't last much longer if nothing changes. I glance away, thinking over my options, then return my gaze to Mephiles.

"What could I possibly do for you that you can't do for yourself?" I ask. He looks irritated, but I don't think it's because of me. At least, not directly.

"I only control time, while you control space as well," he says. "If you want the details..." He trails off and gives me a pointed look, leaving no doubt about what I have to do to learn more. I grind my teeth together, then nod reluctantly.

"Fine. I'll take your deal. Don't expect any more than that."

"That's all I need," he replies, and I swear I can see him smiling, even without a mouth. Then he melts into a shadowy, purple-black blob and flows out of the cave without another word.

Chaos, what have I done? Getting rid of him was all together too easy. What's stopping me from leaving while he's gone? Nothing at all. Except the knowledge that I wouldn't get far. I don't know what sustains Mephiles, but it certainly isn't food, and I doubt he needs sleep either. I need both, especially now.

So I guess I'm sticking around.

Deciding I might as well sleep, I lower myself to the ground with my limbs tucked under me in the mobian version of a hedgehog curling into a ball. Sleep doesn't come easily, though. My body is aching after several hours spent climbing, and my burned side is throbbing worse than ever. Burns infect easily, I know. But being immune to disease means I'm also immune to infection, so the worst I have to worry about there is a fever. It's the only symptom of illness that I ever show, unless something is seriously wrong.

Still, my current position isn't helping the pain, and I resign myself to sleeping loosely curled on my unhurt side instead. Eventually sleep comes, along with vauge, muddled dreams. Nothing alarming, but I wake up feeling very uneasy and poorly rested, which is actually an improvement on my earlier exhaustion. I also feel uncomfortably warm, which means I'm probably fighting an infection now. Great.

I can barely see when I open my eyes. Alarmed, I start to sit up, but every muscle in my body protests, along with my side. I manage to prop myself up on one elbow, but then I stop, head lowered and teeth clenched against the pain, breathing hard.

"So. You're finally awake."

As if things weren't bad enough. I lift my head and see Mephiles sitting nearby, his charcoal gray fur blending into the dark wall behind him. Considering this cave isn't even five feet in any direction, that puts him almost right next to me, which would cause for discomfort even if I wasn't sprawled on the ground.

"I honestly didn't expect you to sleep so long," he continues. "It's almost midnight now, and I thought you would be gone by the time I got back."

I try without success to hold back a groan as I sit up. I feel impossibly sore and stiff, but if Mephiles is to be believed, I haven't moved in at least fourteen hours. The thought of having him so close while I slept makes me shudder. If he had wanted to kill me, he could have. The fact that he didn't...Well, it proves that he needs me alive, at least for now.

"As you can see, I'm still here," I say irritably."And I doubt I'm going anywhere soon, so you might as well tell me what's so important that you would pass up a chance to kill me."

"Always so cheerful," Mephiles says mockingly. "If I kill you, I will make sure you see it coming. Yes, I said 'if'," he adds when I snort. "Not that I wouldn't like to end you, of course, but I'd have to get in line. Anymore it seems like the only beings who don't wish you were dead are the ones actively trying to finish you off."

"You didn't have a problem with attacking Sonic from behind," I point out. Mephiles waves a dismissive hand.

"That wasn't anything personal," he says. "I honestly don't care one way or the other about that hedgehog, but I needed him dead. It was purely a business matter. You, on the other hand, have been a problem from the start. I hate you, and yet it's because of you that I still exist."

I look at him sharply. "What are you talking about? I helped Sonic and Silver defeat Solaris."

"Yes," he agrees, "and Sonic erased Solaris from existence afterwards. But Iblis and I still exist as individuals because we are connected to other beings. The pyrokenetic cat sealed Iblis inside her, where he is still, and I took on your form through your shadow. However much we dislike each other we are, nevertheless, joined on some level. Ironic, isn't it?"

I grunt, then say, "What _I_ find ironic is that you once mocked me for having 'limited powers', and now you want my help because of those powers. Why?"

"Let me start from the beginning," he says. "The human you call Doctor Eggman. You were aware of his last attempt at world domination?"

I was aware of it, all right. With the help of his younger self and a creature called the Time Eater, Eggman had managed to make swiss cheese out of the timestream. That's heavy criticism from someone who's done his own share of time traveling. Just about everyone connected to Sonic got dragged into the resulting mess, even from centuries in the future, and it was even worse because Sonic met his own younger double. So there were two of them running around.

Long story short, Sonic won and we returned to our own time. All except Silver and Blaze, who can't seem to get back to theirs. That was five months ago, and no one's seen Eggman since.

"What about it?" I ask, intrigued in spite of myself.

"There's a reason why that creature was called the Time Eater," Mephiles says grimly. "Its powers tore the fabric of time in several places, releasing no fewer than four powers that should never have entered this world. I have so far been able to track down and identify three, but the forth eludes me."

"And... you want me to help you find it?"

"Actually, no," he says, shaking his head. "You, of all people, would probably have the hardest time finding it. Your awareness of other problems will have reduced your ability to pick up much else."

"I haven't noticed any problems," I say, but I know it's not true. Even before things started being destroyed near me, I've known something was amiss. I feel it even now, though I can't say what it is. It was this feeling of wrongness that made me begin acting strangely, and that, in turn, made it easy for people to blame me when things went wrong. I remember Rouge telling me I haven't been myself, and shake my head.

"No problems," I repeat quietly, "but I've known something was wrong for some time now."

"You're sensing one of the powers that have been unleashed," Mephiles says, looking at me with his head tilted. "The one most likely to come after you, because you're its natural enemy."

I frown. "Mobians don't have any natural enemies."

"Maybe _they_ don't," he says, pointing at me. "But you aren't a Mobian, are you?"

"I was the last time I checked," I reply stiffly, but on the inside I've gone cold. He lowers his hand slowly, never taking his eyes off my face, and I force myself to meet his gaze steadily.

"If that's what you want to believe," he says softly. "But we both know it's not true. We both know you're a hybred, a half-breed, whatever term you prefer. You aren't a true Mobian, and denying your other half won't make it go away."

All I can do is stare at him, mutely. How can he know? How can he _possibly _know that I'm part Black Arms? It's not like it's common knowledge. Mephiles continues speaking, and I force my mind back to my current situation. I can think later.

"In any case, you aren't natural enemies because of species," he's saying. "You're enemies because of what you are as an individual. There are creatures of Order loose in a world governed by Chaos."

At the word "Order", my body stiffens. There's no doubt about it, that means _something _to me, though I'm not yet sure what.

"Creatures of Order," I repeat slowly. "Is that even possible? Anything that can think for itself has been touched by Chaos. It's where free will comes from."

Mephiles shruggs. "I've only seen them from a distance, but they seem to have some form of group consciousness. Not much free will at all."

"What _are _these creatures?" I ask. "And why would they consider me a natural enemy, but not the Mobians?" The words are already out of my mouth by the time I realize that I've spoken as though I'm not a Mobian, and I groan inwardly. It's not easy to figure out where you stand when you're a hybred.

"I'm not sure_ what _they are, exactly," he says. "But as for why they target you... Think about it. Your whole body is suffused with Chaos energy to the point where you can't even live without it. It's both your power and your lifeforce, and it makes you stand out from other Mobians as clearly as your fur does. You are, in other words, what Order's creatures live to snuff out."

I sit back against the wall and fold my arms over my chest, glaring at the cave entrance. It's true that I stand out, unfortunately. There are very few black Mobians, none of them hedgehogs, and I can do things with Chaos energy that most others would need a Chaos Emerald to accomplish. Heck, I've never even seen anyone do some off the things I can. The problem is that standing out isn't a good thing when everyone's after you.

"I would love to know," I mutter darkly, "why all the freakish things come after _me. Sonic's_ the hero, but _he_ only has to deal with unnatural creatures when the Docter digs them up."

"Sonic's a formidible opponent, but he's not really powerful," Mephiles replies, sounding disgusted. "I'm not surprised that most things ignore him. _I_ would have if I'd had a choice. Incidently, why do you call that human by his title?"

I redirect my glare to him. "Because if it wasn't for him I'd still be locked up on Prison Island, and regardless of why he did it, he also saved my life when he sent a robot to find me after I fell from the ARK. It doesn't hurt me to show some respect, even if I won't work for him."

"Hmm." is all he says, but it's plenty annoying. My scowl deepens and I look away, pushing myself to my feet. To my eturnal humiliation I slump against the wall before I'm even properly upright, and I stare down at myself in confusion. After how long I'd slept, how can I be this weak?

"I knew you were foolish," Mephiles comments, "but I never would have thought you were self-destructive too."

I don't know what he's talking about, but I ignore him and stagger out of the cave. Once outside I sink to my knees beside a large puddle. I'm breathing hard, and my limbs are shaking slightly, but I feel a little better with the cold night breeze ruffling my fur. A shadow falls over me, but I don't look at Mephiles.

"_This _was unexpected," he mutters, seemingly to himself. I glance at him, then avert my gaze again, thinking hard. I can't be sick, can I? I'm immune to disease, but maybe... There _are _illnesses that aren't caused by bacteria or viruses. I'm not immune to those, although I _am _resistant to them.

Then I realize what's wrong, and a sick feeling settles in my stomach. Of course. It would explain why the simple act of standing up made me feel so weak, and why I still feel tired after sleeping so long. I hadn't even noticed there was anything wrong while I was sitting, but sleeping longer than most humans should have clued me in. I'm closer to shutdown than I'd thought, and if I let it happen, which I technically should, I'm going to be helpless. If I don't let it happen, I might kill myself.

Either way, I'm in worse trouble than I'd thought.


	3. From Bad to Worse

I kneel beside that puddle for what feels like a very long time, although it's probably not even a minute. At length I hear Mephiles walk away, and it occures to me that I shouldn't be able to hear footsteps over the sound of a waterfall. The roar is a lot quieter than it was just minutes ago. Wierd.

My mind latches eagerly onto this new development, but I have more pressing things to think about, so I push it to the back of my mind for now. At the moment I need to focus on survival.

A muffled thump gets my attention and I open eyes, turning my head to see a small pack sitting next to me. Mephiles is standing beside it, arms folded in a bored manner that doesn't match the annoyance on his face.

"There," he says. "I said I would bring food, and I did. Now perhaps you could put off dying until _after_ you've outlived your usefulness?"

That comment makes me bristle slightly, but I decide to ignore it for now. Under most circumstances I would never accept food from an enemy, but if he needs me alive he won't have tampered with it. Besides, try going one _day_ with no food at all and see how well _your_ self-control fares!

Suspicion kicks in after I open the pack, though. It's filled with jerky, but unlike most hedgehogs I'm primarily a carnivore (a trait from my Black Arms side), so that's not the problem. I glare at Mephiles as he settles down across from me.

"How did you know I'm a carnivore?" I ask sharply. "For that matter, how did you know I'm not a pure Mobian?"

He tilts his head to one side. "A little jumpy, are we? If you must know, after you defeated Solaris I started watching you. I wanted to figure out why you refused to listen to me when everyone else was so easy to manipulate. I've decided you're just stubborn, but you're still quite..._ interesting_ to watch."

I stare at him in silent shock. "You've been spying on me... for more than a year?"

"Well, not_ quite_ that long," he replies. "I had to go my own way to investigate these foreign powers I mentioned. But for at least a full year, yes. Sometimes you seemed to know I was there, even if you didn't know it was me. But perhaps I was wrong?"

I can't reply. I'd felt like I was being watched often enough, but I never found evidence that it was anything more than my imagination. I tear into a jerky bag, not looking at him as I say, "So what did you need my help with, then?"

From the way he chuckles, I'd say he knows I'm trying to change the subject. When he speaks, though, he gets straight to the point. "Those powers didn't all come into this world at the same time. They've come one by one, and there will be another one soon if we don't repair the timestream. To do that, we need to put the missing piece back where it belongs. Tell me, have you wondered where Eggman went?"

I shake my head. "Not really. I've been too preoccupied."

"He's stuck between dimensions, in a place where time doesn't exist. As a result, I can't get in or out. But _someone_ has to retrieve him, because his younger self is with him. The history of this world should be very different if he was removed from time, shouldn't it?"

My shoulders slump as I realize what the problem is. I take a deep breath before speaking. "So he split the timeline. There's the one he _was_ in, and the one he_ should _have been in. One is fine, but this one isn't because he disappeared from the past."

Mephiles nods and I scowl, biting down on a jerky strip with more force than is necessary. _This _is why humans can't be trusted with time travel. At least I've figured out where this is going.

"You want me to go after him. Because I can use Chaos Control to travel between dimensions."

"_We_ will go after him," Mephiles corrects, narrowing his eyes at me. "I happen to know you need a Chaos Emerald for dimensional jumps, and I don't trust you not to run off with it." I shrug, not bothering to deny it. I probably _would _make off with it, considering I've never had a problem with stealing Emeralds in the past. There's a reason why I don't consider myself a hero. My moral code only goes so far, and I'm not above thievery. But I _am_ above senseless destruction, regardless of what others might say.

"Why do you care?" I ask at length. "I thought you were in favor of unravelling the fabric of time."

"A mouse wants nothing more than to escape its cage until it actually gets out," Mephiles replies. "Then it discovers cats, snakes, and hawks waiting for it. I never thought about what might be waiting out there, but if I had, I doubt I would have cared. I was a part of Solaris, and confident in my power. But now Solaris is gone, and part of my power with him. As an individual I'm less powerful than I was as part of a god, even if it _was_ an artificial, human-made god." He shrugs. "Perhaps I'm not alive the way you understand life, but I have no desire to die."

I can understand that, although I don't say so. If I had wanted to die, I would have stopped running and givin myself to GUN a long time ago.

Silence falls between us. There are a lot of things I want to know about these "foreign powers", but I don't want Mephiles to demand more from me than he already has, either. I grab the pack of jerky and stow it in a dimensional pocket, something most Mobians can do with small objects. Then, still thinking hard, I lift my gaze to the waterfall and freeze.

"That... was bigger a few minutes ago," I say, staring. The waterfall has lost almost a third of its original size, and the water is cloudy, filled with wood and other small bits of debris. I start to stand, but once again, I only felt okay while I was sitting, and I slowly lower myself back to the ground.

"Hmm." I glance up and see Mephiles looking, not at the waterfall, but at me. I glare at him.

"What?"

To my intense frustration he doesn't reply, and after several seconds I look away, folding my ears back. Of all the people to see me like this, it _had_ to be him.

"Go back to the cave, Shadow."

Startled, I return my gaze to Mephiles as he stands up. The command was casual, as though he really expects me to obey, and he glares at me when I don't move.

"Whether you like it or not, you need help," he says. "I've told you that already. Since your friends have abandoned you, that means me. And _that_ means you'll do as I say. Unless you want me to just leave you to die? Don't forget, no one cares what happens to you anymore."

I continue to glare after him as he walks away. I should never have made a deal with him, I know better than that. But it's too late now. I'm not one to make deals or promises, because I _always_ uphold my end, unless I'm actively prevented from doing so. I made a bargain, and now I have to stick to it.

I watch in silence as Mephiles melts into a shadowy blob again and flows up the cliffside. Once he's out of sight, I get to my feet and return to the cave, trying hard to ignore fresh waves of dizziness. Then I sit down with my back to a wall and stare at nothing.

_No one cares what happens to you anymore._ The words echo through my mind as I slide down to lie on my uninjured side. But that isn't true, is it?

_Even if you believe the whole world will be against you, know that I will always remain by your side._ That's what Rouge said. But she's not here now. Because I wouldn't let her be.

I roll onto my stomach with my arms folded under my head and stare at the wall in front of me. I don't regret making Rouge stay behind.

But I do regret the way we parted.

_flashback_

_"Shadow! Shadow, where are you?"_

_Her voice is getting closer. I'm glad she's well enough to come after me, but I wish she hadn't. I glance at the sky, which is just starting to lighten, then sigh and move toward her voice._

_I'm surprised by how normal she looks when I find her. Her left wing is in a splint and dark bruises incircle her neck, but apart from that she seems fine. Thank Chaos. I step out of the trees, moving cautiously and alert for danger._

_"Hello, Rouge."_

_She immediately turns toward me, relief written on her face._

_"Oh, thank goodne- Shadow, what happened?"_

_I wince and turn my head away, lifting a hand to cover my face, but it's too late to hide the deep scratch that runs from the edge of my eye to my quills, or the swelling around it._

_"It's nothing," I say automaticly._

_"That's not nothing,__ you've been attacked!" she says, stepping towards me. "It was Knuckles, wasn't it?"_

_I glance around uneasily, then sigh. "He thought I was the one who hurt you. Don't worry, it's the only hit he landed, and it missed my eye."_

_She stops in front of me and pushes my hand aside, pressing her own to the side of my face and turning it so that she can see the injury. I know she won't leave me alone until she's had a look at it, but I don't feel at all comfortable with her touching me, and that's strange._

_"I guess it's not too bad," she murmurs, lowering her hand. "Why did you run off? Everyone's looking for you."_

_"I'll bet they are," I mutter. Ignoring her question, I ask, "Did you see what attacked you?"_

_Regret fills her voice when she replies. "I wish I had, but it was like being attacked by a ghost. I never saw anything."_

_On impulse I move forward and press my forehead to hers, carefully avoiding her injured wing as I put my arms around her. Over the past few months this sort of thing has become common when we're alone. I'm not sure I'd call it love, so much as a need to be close to someone after spending the last two years shutting them out. I haven't forgotten how uncomfortable her touch made me just moments ago, however, and I'm still on edge, so Rouge's next words startle me a little._

_"You're leaving, aren't you." It's a statement, not a question. I close my eyes._

_"Someone's gone to a lot of effort to get me in trouble. I want to know who, and why."_

_"I'm coming with you."_

_"No." I reopen my eyes and look at her, hard. "We don't know what's going on, and I can work faster on my own anyway."_

_She glares at me. "You're just trying to make me stat where it's safe. Why do men always _do_ that?"_

_"I don't know." I say. "But if I ever want to keep you where it's safe, I'll take you with me no matter where I go."_

_"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of keeping me safe?"_

_"I'm the Ultimate Lifeform. If I can't protect you, nothing can." _

_A dull ache starts in my chest as I speak, reminding me of another friend, one I couldn't protect. I keep my face still and my voice steady, but there must be some level of pain in my eyes, because Rouge doesn't push the subject. Instead she wraps her own arms around me, offering the comfort she knows I need, but would never ask for. I close my eyes with a sigh, allowing myself to relax against her. We stay like that for some time, silent and still._

_Then, without warning, the need to distance myself washes over me again, and I pull away._

_"Shadow? What's wrong?"_

_I shake my head and turn my back on her._

_"I have to go."_

_I start to walk away, but only take a couple steps before she grabs my arm. My breath catches and my body goes stiff, something I'm sure she notices, but I don't turn around._

_"Can't you see what you're doing?" she demands, sounding almost scared. "You're acting strangely and refusing to explain why, that's why people think you might really be the one destroying everything! _Please_ just talk to me!"_

_I look at the ground and fold my ears back, fighting the urge to pull away from her. But after several seconds I murmur, "I'm sorry," then yank my arm free and sprint into the trees before she can stop me again._

_She calls after me, but I ignore her._

_End flashback_

I roll onto my back and glare at the ceiling. That memory never fails to make me feel guilty. In truth, _I'm_ not even sure why I behaved that way, not that _that's_ an excuse. I've always had mixed feelings about being touched, thanks to my early life as a lab experiment, but I don't actively shun it like I used to. So why did Rouge's touch affect me like that? It makes no sense.

Eventually I give up on that train of thought and climb back to my feet, trembling slightly from weakness. I ignore it, but it's harder to ignore how stiff and sore I am, and I limp more than walk out of the cave. I must have been in there longer than I'd thought, because the waterfall has shrunk even further. At this rate, it's going to stop completely.

There's no sign of Mephiles yet, so I just sit down and fold my arms over my chest, staring out at the darkness. Before long, a dark blob comes oozing down the cliff wall and reforms into the missing whatever he is. He doesn't seem very happy to see me outside, anyway, and I feel a twinge of smug satisfaction, but when I try to speak, he stops me.

"We don't have time to talk," he says. "We're going to the timeless dimension now, and I wouldn't advise arguing, because Silver and some red echidna are coming in this direction. Unless, of course, you wanted to meet with them?"

Silver and... Knuckles. Damn. I stand up for what feels like the hundredth time, trying to ignore how tired I am.

"Fine," I mutter. Mephiles holds out the red Chaos Emerald and grabs my upper arm with his other hand. Obviously he doesn't trust me not to leave him behind, and he knows I won't be able to if he's in contact with me. I set a hand on the Emerald, but I know he won't let me take it, so I don't try. Instead I focus on where I want to go, and hope we won't wind up in a lake of lava. I hastily push that last thought from my mind before speaking.

"Chaos Control."

There's a flash of light and a brief feeling of weightlessness, then...

I stumble, forcing back a new wave of dizziness, then slowly straighten up to look around. But everywhere I look, there's nothing. The entire world has become nothing more than a white void.

"Interesting," Mephiles says, releasing me and stowing the Emerald out of sight. "Very interesting. I don't think it will be very hard to find them, and getting back to our own time when we're done should be easy, shouldn't it?"

I grunt. "Where are we supposed to start? It's all the same."

"Oh, I would guess every path leads to the same place. No matter where we go, we'll find them."

That defies several laws of physics, but I don't argue. I just start walking, and Mephiles falls in next to me.

"So what happened to that waterfall?" I ask.

"It looked like a landslide blocked the river," he replies. "Strange that it happened after you got there, isn't it?"

I ball my hands into fists and fight the urge to punch him.

* * *

The good thing about timeless places: You can't get tired or hungry. The bad thing: You can't recover, either. Between pain and fatigue I'm pretty miserable, and that makes me one of the worst traveling companions you could ask for. On the bright side, Mephiles soon tires of my sullen grouchiness and leaves me alone, which makes it easier for each of us to put up with the other.

Eventually, something changes. I spot two dark shapes in the distance, and as we get closer I realize that they are actually humans. Both are large, bald, and emensely fat. Each is lying on his back, staring up at a nonexistant ceiling, and apparently unaware of us. I label the younger one Robotnik and the older one Eggman in my mind, but it doesn't really matter. When Mephiles mockingly bows and makes an "after you" gesture (I glare at him as I pass) I get their attention with a simple, "Hello, Doctor."

The result is actually kind of funny. They both jump, then sit bolt upright and stare at me as though I'm from outer space. Which I am, come to think of it. I'm even half-alien. Maybe that reaction was more appropriate that I thought.

"Shadow! What are _you_ doing here?" Eggman demands. "And what _happened _to you?" he adds when my battered appearance sinks in.

"I don't think that's any of your business," I reply, folding my arms over my chest. "But to answer your question, we're here to get you two out."

"We?" Eggman looks past me at Mephiles, and his face pales slightly. I shrug, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"I think you already know something about Mephiles, even if you've never met," I say. Before any reply can be made, however, Robotnik jabs a finger at me.

"Wait a minute, I've seen you before!" he exclaims. "You're one of Sonic's friends!"

"We _were_ on friendly terms," I say, emphasizing the past tense. "But not now." I look at Eggman. "A lot has changed in the last five months."

"_What?_" The humans say at the same time.

"Five _months?_" Eggman repeats. "But...but my robots! My _base!_"

I clear my throat awkwardly, trying to ignore Mephiles's obvious enjoyment of my discomfort. "Don't worry about the robots," I say. "Omega's destroyed just about all of them, except for a few smarter ones. As for your base, Metal Sonic comandeered it after he decided you were gone for good."

"_What?_" Eggman says again, louder this time. "That does it, that robot is going on the scrap heap this time! I'm going to- Wait, how did you know that? Have you been breaking into my base again?"

"Walking in, actually," I reply. "I told you, your robots are gone, and Metal Sonic isn't really concerned about me. You can blame yourself for that, since you made us work together once."

"Just whose side is he_ on, _anyway?" Robotnik hisses at Eggman, pointing at me again.

"His own," Eggman mutters back. Speaking to me again, he adds "When did you find my base, anyway?"

"About three weeks ago. I hadn't realized you were gone until then."

"It was more than _four months_ before you realized I was gone?"

I glare at him and gesture at myself. "Hey, I've had other things to worry about! Now if you don't mind, I'd like to back to our own dimension. As you can no doubt see, I'm not well, and I'm not getting any better in this timeless place."

This may be the only time I've ever admitted weakness, and I can't believe I actually did it. Maybe there really is something wrong with me.

"We _should_ be getting back," Mephiles agrees, speaking for the first time. "Though perhaps not back where we came from." He raises an eyebrow at me. I pointedly ignore him.

"We can return to my base, then," Eggman says. "I'm not going to let some mechanical upstart take over!" I decide not to mention that Metal's already done that at least once.

"Very well," Mphiles says, as though I have no choice in the matter. He pulls out the Emerald and grabs my arm again. This time I fold my ears back and glare at him, hands balled into fists.

"You know full well that I don't trust you," he says calmly, holding out the red gem. "If you could get away with leaving me here, I'm sure you would. So unless you want to fight me for the Emerald..."

For a moment I actually consider it. But the two humans will put enough strain on my already depleted energy without me weakening myself further. Slowly, I open one hand and set it on the Emerald, then take a deep breath and close my eyes.

"Chaos Control."

I realize immediately that I've overextended myself. Power surges through the rings on my wrists and ankles as they try to stop the flow of energy, but teleportation isn't something you can stop halfway through. A sharp pain pierces my heart in the split-second it takes to make the jump between dimensions, then it fades to a dull ache as the shift ends. I collapse at once, wrenching my arm from Mephiles's grasp and hitting the ground hard.

For a few seconds I can't seem to remember how to breathe. Then something prods me in the side and I groan, then draw a shaky breath. Then another.

"So you _are_ alive," Mephiles says somewhere above me. "Or not dead, anyway. I didn't actually expect that."

"What the- Were you trying to _kill _him?" I'm not sure which human that is, but he sounds shocked, either by my collapse or Mephiles's callousness. Maybe both.

"Well, I_ did_ expect that to finish him off, considering the state I found him in," Mephiles replies. "But I suppose it worked out for the best as I may have further need of him. Although this _does_ mean I'll have to take back to your proper time myself, and I'm afraid it will be a little more uncomfortable than Chaos Control."

"You stay away from me!" Robotnik says hastily. Not that it does any good, of course. I'm already sensing an upsurge of power. The human shouts something I can't make out, then the power is gone.

With extreme effort I push myself to my hands and knees, but I can't do more than that. For a moment I manage to support myself, limbs shaking with exhaustion. Then my arms give out and I sink back down, barely aware of hands catching me before I hit the ground.

Then the world fades completely.


	4. The Lowest Point

_Beep_. _Beep. Beep._

I don't like that sound. It's too much like a heart monitor.

It _is_ a heart monitor.

I'm lying on something hard. It feels like metal. Probably a table.

It hurts to breathe. A dull pain in my chest throbs in time with the beeping. But nothing else hurts for once, so that's a good thing.

Of course, I can barely feel the rest of my body anyway.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

That infernal beeping. Is it supposed to be so slow?

I'm becoming a little more aware now. My breathing is shallow and ragged. I can hear voices, though I can't make them out. I try to move and manage to roll my head an inch or so to one side.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

I twitch an ear. Why did the beeping falter? It's not supposed to do that. I listen closely and catch a slight pause every ten to twelve beeps. Great.

Eventually I get my eyes open, only to close them against the light almost immediately. After a few seconds though, they've adjusted enough for me to glance around. I start by looking myself over as well as I can. An IV needle has been inserted into the back of my left hand, with the line taped to my arm so I can move more freely. I'm still a mess, but I'm not being restrained as far as I can see. So things could be worse.

Movement on the edge of my vision catches my attention, and I turn my head to see Eggman coming toward me.

"Well... that's surprising," I say, my voice weaker than I would have liked. "I thought Metal Sonic... would rip you apart on sight."

"I think he wants to," Eggman replies. I glance behind him and see a blue hedgehog-like robot watching us. He does look pretty unhappy, although I have to rely on body language since robots don't have the most expressive faces.

"So what happened?" Eggman asks as I turn my gaze back to him. "I've never seen you collapse after Chaos Control before."

"Blame Mephiles," I mutter. Then something occurs to me. "Where is he anyway?"

"Somewhere," Eggman actually looks nervous now. "I don't really know where he went, and I'm not too troubled about finding out. He looked far too pleased after taking my younger self back in time."

"Hmm." I glance disinterestedly around the small room, then gesture at the IV unit. "What is that anyway?"

"Just a mild sedative. You'll hurt yourself if you get too excited right now, and given your nature it's the only way I could think of to keep you calm."

I nod again and say nothing more about it. I trust Metal Sonic and Eggman far more than I trust Mephiles. In fact, I may be the only organic being Metal gets along with since he hates his creator, and we've worked together before. My being a human creation myself probably helps.

"What _did_ happen to you?" Eggman's question shakes me from my thoughts. "You look like you've been fighting Blaze."

"I have."

"_WHAT_?"

It's hard to talk right now, but I give him the basic idea of what's been happening. Thankfully he doesn't ask for details, although he looks grim.

"So you've been on your own for a month, with everyone after you, and without a Chaos Emerald," he says when I finish. I give a tired nod.

"Not bad... for an organic," a new voice says, startling me slightly. Hearing Metal Sonic speak is always a shock, because he didn't have a voice chip at the time of our brief partnership. I hadn't known he was even listening to our conversation, but I flick an ear in acknowledgement.

"So what happens now?" I don't know why I ask. I can figure out my next step on my own. But I don't get a chance.

"Now you need to rest," Eggman says. "Don't give me that look," he adds when I glare at him. "If you want to leave I won't stop you, but you wouldn't even reach the door in your condition."

I hate it when he's right.

* * *

Thanks to that sedative and my own exhaustion, sleep comes easily. It can't be more than a few hours before I reawaken though. I don't open my eyes immediately, instead listening hard. The heart monitor is still going, occasionally missing a beat, but not quite as often. The only other thing I can hear is my own breathing, which is still shallow, but less uneven.

"You can't feign sleep while hooked up to a heart monitor, Shadow. It goes faster when you're awake."

I'd expected that, but it doesn't make me any happier to know I'm not alone.

"What do you want, Mephiles?" I don't bother to open my eyes. At least my voice is stronger now.

"Nothing... yet."

"Our deal is through," I say firmly. "I've done what you wanted, and you're not getting any more out of me. I don't care if you have other uses for me."

"Are you sure of that?"

"Completely."

"Hmm. Interesting, I wasn't aware that my side of the deal was done. You still don't know everything that's going on, do you? Oh well, your loss."

I finally open my eyes. The room is dark now, but I can see Mephiles standing next to me. I prop myself up so that I can look at him properly, glad I've regained enough strength for that much.

"Get out of here. I don't know what more you want from me, but you aren't getting it, so there's no point in hanging around."

He just gives a small laugh. "I'm not surprised that you're angry...now that you know I was right. You wouldn't listen when I told you that the world would betray you, and it did in the end. What do you suppose will happen when you're finally captured?"

I shake my head. "Do you _ever_ give up? What's so important that you won't leave me alone?" The dull ache in my chest grows a little sharper as I speak, and the monitor skips a beat. Mephiles nods at it.

"You may want to calm down. You're going to hurt yourself if you don't."

You wouldn't care at all if you didn't want something from me. We both know you want SOMETHING, so you might as well come out with it."

"You're in no position to demand anything from me," Mephiles states calmly. "In fact, you should count yourself lucky I haven't killed you yet. Though I still could."

"And just why _haven't_ you?" I demand sharply.

He gives me an appraising look, head tilted to one side. "Do you always get angry this easily? I seem to remember you being a little more... in control."

I stay silent this time, but that damned monitor won't let me hide my anger. The beeps are coming more quickly now, and the pauses are more frequent. I reach for the electrode that's pressed to my chest over my heart, intending to remove it, but Mephiles grabs my wrist.

"Do you _really_ think you should do that?"

I pull my legs close to my body and kick him in the chest with both feet, flooring him with a single blow. He's never been as strong as me physically, and even in my weakened state I can hit hard if surprise is on my side. A loud thud announces his impact with the floor, then there is a moment of silence apart from the monitor. I press a hand to my chest in an effort to ease the pain, and lean over to peer down at Mephiles... then fall backwards to avoid a baseball-sized energy sphere that had been aimed at my head.

"_What_ is going on in here?"

Light suddenly fills the room, and I push myself up as Eggman marches in, followed by two small robots. One is sort of spherical with red and black coloration, and the other is a yellow and black cube-shaped bot. I grimace inwardly, recognizing the pair from my last visit to this base, and return my gaze to Mephiles as he climbs to his feet.

"Nothing's wrong," he says coldly, shooting me a venomous look. "Shadow's just trying to shorten his lifespan."

"I dunno, that doesn't sound like nothing's wrong," the yellow robot says. "That sounds kinda dangerous, if you ask me."

"I couldn't agree more," the red bot says.

"Both of you, shut up," Eggman snaps. "You," he points at Mephiles then at the door, "get out."

I never thought I would see Eggman tell Mephiles the Dark of all people what to do, but the sight is almost comical. For a moment I don't think he'll obey. Then Metal Sonic enters the room, and he throws a last glare at me before leaving. I don't relax until he's out of sight, though I am curious about why he left the moment Metal arrived. When I'm sure he's gone I slump down on the table and try to catch my breath, ears flattened against the irregular beeping of the monitor.

"It doesn't look like that sedative helped very much, Boss," the red robot says. "Do you have an alternate plan?"

Eggman ignores him, walking up to me instead. "I told you that you'd hurt yourself if you weren't careful. What was he doing in here anyway?"

"Causing trouble," I reply darkly. "But that's no surprise, is it?"

"What, exactly, got you so worked up?" the doctor asks, frowning at the obnoxiously loud monitor. I just grunt, then pull the electrode from my chest. The beeping trails off into one long whine, prompting Eggman to shut it off with a wince. When he glares at me, I return the look.

"I don't need to be monitored," I say bluntly. "All I need now is to be left alone so I can recover in peace."

I emphasise my words by rolling to put my back to the room, curling inward to form an angry ball of quills. If Eggman is even half as smart as he claims, he'll know better than to bother me further. Sure enough, after a few moments I hear him leave, grumbling something about "stubborn, ungrateful hedgehogs" as he goes.

For awhile I stay motionless, glaring into the reinstated darkness. But after a few minutes I uncurl and lie on my side, anger gone. I'm still frustrated by Mephiles's refusal to answer my questions, but it doesn't bother me as much as it did when he was actually in the room. I _am_ a bit irritated that I reacted so strongly, but I put it down to stress. Mephiles has never been easy to deal with, and I wasn't mentally prepared to do so tonight.

Several more minutes pass, making it rather obvious to me that sleep isn't going to come easy a second time. It's not really a surprise though. The last thing I want is for Mephiles to show up while I'm asleep again. It's _extremely_ disturbing that he can do that without waking me, especially since he admitted to spying on me. I wonder if he's ever considered killing me while I sleep? It wouldn't be much of a revenge though, and I'm sure he wants it after I helped to defeat Solaris. So why hasn't he tried anything before now? Just what _does_ he want?

Now I really wish I could sleep, if only to escape the questions I'm not ready to deal with.

I ease myself onto my back, more mindful of the aching burn on my side than I was when I first rolled over. As I'm settling down however, I realize I'm still not alone. Metal Sonic is standing by a wall a short distance away, watching me. I stare back at him, letting annoyance pass over my face.

"Why are you still here?" I say. My tone is a little stiff, but I sound more or less normal now.

"I have decided to stand watch," Metal replies. "Mephiles can't be trusted."

"How do you know that?" I ask. I wasn't aware that Metal had ever met Mephiles, although it is possible. I don't know how long I was out.

"I'm aware of his origins," Metal states. "I know that he is bad news. But I didn't expect him to survive the end of Solaris."

"You're not the only one," I grunt, remembering my own surprise when Mephiles reappeared. "But how did you find out about all that? I didn't know you were around for that disaster."

"I wasn't. I have spent the last few months going through Robotnik's database. He keeps a record of each plan he tries."

I blink when he refers to Eggman as Robotnik, but I'm not really surprised. He may have absolutely no respect for his creator, but I doubt he'd ever use a nickname his organic counterpart came up with. Thinking back to his original statement I say, "So you're watching for Mephiles?"

"Affirmative. You require rest, and he will interfere with that. But he will stay away from me."

"You've fought then?"

Metal Sonic doesn't move at all, but he manages to sound smug when he says, "He will not mess with me."

I grunt again, this time in satisfaction. Metal may not have much luck defeating Sonic, but he's still a pretty powerful robot, and he can copy an enemy's abilities given enough time. I wouldn't mind seeing how a battle between him and Mephiles would turn out.

"One question," I say as I finally relax completely. "What made you decide to keep him away from me?"

"When we travelled together you spoke to me, even though I couldn't reply," Metal says. "I was just a robot, an enemy, but you showed concern for me. I haven't forgotten, though I do wish to know why you did it."

I shrug. "I'm adaptable. Our goals were the same so I considered you an ally, and I look out for my allies."

Metal doesn't reply, but his posture suggests that he's satisfied with my answer so I close my eyes and leave it at that. Sleep seems both more inviting and more likely now that I know Metal's on guard. I can't help but feel that if I play my cards right, I may have finally found an ally in this mess my life has become. An ally I might even be able to trust.

With that rather hopeful possibility in mind, I sleep at last.


End file.
